Microbes Found in Alps and Arctic Could Be Key to Decomposing Plastic

Scientists Discover Fungi That Can Digest Three Different Types of Plastic

Plastic waste is a major global problem, with at least trillions of pieces of plastic in the ocean and a staggering 14 million tons added every year.

While governments and scientists are working on solutions, recent research has turned to microbes as a potential remedy. Bacteria like Rhodococcus ruber have been found to digest plastic, but the process is often costly and non-carbon neutral.

That’s why new findings in the Arctic and Alps are so exciting.

According to a recent study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute WSL have discovered microbes that can digest plastic at low temperatures.

The researchers identified two fungal species (in the genera Neodevriesia and Lachnellula) that can break down three different types of plastic. This discovery could be a game-changer in reducing plastic waste worldwide.

The team examined 34 microbes (19 strains of bacteria and 15 fungi) found in Svalbard, Greenland, and Switzerland. These microbes were found growing on free-lying plastic litter and plastic that had been intentionally buried in the ground for at least a year, as well as in the soil itself. Sampling 26 strains from the Alps and eight from the Arctic, the scientists isolated the microbes and grew single-strain cultures in the lab at 15°C under the conditions of darkness.

“It was very surprising to us that we found that a large fraction of the tested strains was able to degrade at least one of the tested plastics,” said Rüthi.

While the results are promising, there’s still more research and future testing to be done. For one, the research team only tested the microbes at 15 degrees Celsius, but the microbes can grow in temperatures between 4 and 20°C. Future testing could reveal what the best temperature may be.

This discovery offers hope for a cleaner, greener future.